This is to tell you the readers of Walton’s Wall that posting over the next two days will be lite. This is because of educational reasons as I am undergoing written comprehensive exams for my Masters. Thank you for understanding and continuing to visit Walton’s Wall.
Left-Wingers Turning Looney
In wake of the stunning election of Scott Brown to the US Senate last week it’s interesting to notice the change taking place with the left-wing of American politics. Some, including this blogger, would say that the left-wing of American politics has lost the ability for intellectual thought. For examples of this lunacy I point to all places MSNBC and Chris Matthews show Hardball.
Our first example of the Left gone wild comes from former Vermont Governor and DNC Chairman Howard Dean and his explanation of the results of the Massachusetts special election.
One would think that someone who is medical doctor and also served 12 years as a governor would be able to have a feel of what the American people are saying. But clearly from his interview with Matthews, Dean has shown that he, and the rest of the Left, has no clue what the American people want.
Our next example of how the Left is losing their intellectual faculties comes from Florida’s 8th District Democratic Congressman Alan Grayson.
You can see that Chris Matthews, a long-time top aid to former Democratic Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill, has to educate the congressman from Florida on the basic rules of congress. Congressman Grayson is someone who does a good job at representing what the Left of this country is…clueless.
I usually disagree with the coverage on Hardball, but I will give Chris Matthews credit for bringing some truth to the Left wing loons. It’s apparent that after their traumatic lose last week in the Bay State the Left is dazed and confused on what the American people are telling them. Also, it’s clear that they might be turning a little loony as their rhetoric is foolish at best.
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Obama, The Do Nothing President?
One year ago today President Obama signed an Executive Order stating that by today the terrorist detention center at Guantánamo Bay would be closed. Now that that deadline has come and soon to past, it is becoming more clear that while President Obama has the appearance of a great leader he in fact in turning into a Do Nothing President.
In spite of having large Democratic majorities in both chambers of Congress, Obama has been ineffective in getting much accomplished. According to the Web site Politifact.com, President Obama made 503 promises during the 2008 presidential campaign. Of these 503, the Web site has says that Obama has kept or compromised on 124. The remaining 379 have either been stalled, broken, or “in the works”.
Of the 124 promises that have been kept, few are of major substance. These include: A stand down of nuclear forces to be reduced under the Moscow Treaty, to launch an international Add Value to Agriculture Initiative (AVTA), restore funding for the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne/JAG) program, to release presidential records, and to support increased funding for the NEA. These promises that Obama has kept are arguable (at best) minimally helping the country.
Obama has been distracted this past year focusing much of his attention to a health care bill that appears to be now dead in the water, and the remaining attention has been on accomplishing unimportant items. This is a shame as he has wasted a year when he should have concentrated on the ailing economy. Yes, he did manage to get a “stimulus” bill passed, but we can see that it has done nothing for Main Street America.
President Obama must do better for the American people in year two of his administration. After finishing his first year in office President Obama has, like his Executive Order to close Guantánamo Bay, failed the American people. And it’s clear, through recent polls, that the American people are starting to see Obama as The Do Nothing President.
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A Resurgent Republican Party?
Yesterday the national media spent a tremendous amount of time discussing the impact of the election of Scott Brown. There is no doubt that the results from the Bay State on Tuesday evening significantly altered the political landscape in the country. Many think the outcome represents a resurgent Republican Party. While this could be true, it’s imperative that the GOP looks more like an alternative party, than one of opposition.
The Republican Party needs to be visionary. There has been a lot of talk about health care reform and the charge from the Democrats against the GOP is that they are the Party of No. The leaders, such as Sen. Mitch McConnell and Rep. Jon Boehner, need to present to the public a list of health care reforms that they support and can guarantee Republican support.
Republicans need to rally behind Chairman Michael Steele and his vision. He knows what it takes to win elections in areas that are not traditionally red, as he was elected Lieutenant Governor of Maryland. Steele approach to leading the GOP is much different than what Republicans are use to. Having a divided party does the Republicans no good, only as a united can they show the American people they’re ready to lead.
Finally, the GOP needs to put forth new ideas to the American people. Brown’s win has given Republicans a breath of fresh air and renewed optimism, the question is whether or not that can use this new opportunity to capture the trust of the American people.
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Brown Breaks Through in Bay State
Last night in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts the political landscape of the country permanently shifted when Republican Scott Brown defeated Democrat Martha Coakley in the special election for the open US Senate.
Scott Brown ran perhaps the best run political campaign in the last half century, including the one ran last year by President Obama. He ran as a person that was willing to roll up his sleeves and put in the time and miles to gain the support of the voters. That hard work is what voters are yearning for, they want to see someone that will work for them as opposed to someone who is looking out for special interest, and that was Scott Brown in this election.
The results from last night have and will continue to reverberate throughout the halls of Congress. Virginia Senior Senator Jim Webb (D) put out a statement last night saying that he “believe[s] it would only be fair and prudent that we suspend further votes on health care legislation until Senator-elect Brown is seated.” Also, there are reports that now the House doesn’t have the support to move forward with a health care bill.
It’s clear from the results last night that there is a political wave in motion against the Democrats. Yesterday’s wave took out the third Democrat within 2 months, Creigh Deeds in Virginia and incumbent Governor Jon Corzine in New Jersey. If Washington DC Democrats don’t take note of what the American people are saying in November the wave will cause them to suffer the same result that Coakley saw.
Finally, this was a devastating lose for President Obama. He spent the Sunday before the election campaigning for Coakley. In the wake of out of last night’s election, Obama needs to reconsider his policies as it is clear that they are not popular with the American people.
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Special Mass. Senate Election Coverage
Walton’s Wall will be covering tonight’s results in-depth with updates starting at 8:00PM and at least every 20 minutes afterward.
***3:45 update***
It looks like the Coakley campaign is already trying to point fingers to the Democrats in DC for her lose in the election. In a memo released it shows that the Coakley camp blames the National Democrats for failing to rally behind her.
Turn out in the Bay State appears to be high according to multiple reports.
***4:55PM Update***
Just appearing on CNN, John King said that all Democratic leaders he talked to were feeling down and worried about the results.
*** 7:25PM Update***
In a note on how the race affects the economy, all major markets were up today in trading. Many think that the rally is on speculation of a Brown win. Should Coakley pull out a victory look for a down market tomorrow.
***7:57PM Update***
With polls closing in a few minutes The Drudge Report claims that turnout is near 50%…. this could mean either Coakley wins with less than 1% or Brown blows this election open winning with more than 8%…. the word from White House advisors is “candidates matter”, meaning privately they don’t think Coakley will win.
***8:01 PM update***
The polls have now closed in Mass. Brown is now meeting with his campaign team.
***8:18PM Update***
According to pollster Scott Rasmussen, Among those who decided how they would vote in the past few days, Coakley has a slight edge, 47% to 41% (Obama visit impact?)… and also of importance 22% of Democrats voted for Brown. That is generally consistent with pre-election polling….
***8:25PM Update ***
One important thing to remember when watching coverage is that there are no exit polls for this race as no one thought it would be this close. Brown is up with 1% in, though I wont starting posting strong numbers until we reach 15% reporting…. I think then we can then begin to start to make some idea of whats going on, and I mean SOME.
***8:39PM Update***
The Caucus, a NY Times blog reports that “Democrats were studying turnout models and disappointed by what appeared to be lower-than-expected turnout in minority precincts, which typically trend Democratic.”…. If this true then Coakley will remain the AG of Mass…. one thing is that we haven’t heard anything from Boston (a Dem. strong hold)…. this could tell us if the model The Caucus reported on looks to be correct.
***8:43PM Update***
Results are coming in fast, with 21% in its Brown holding a decent lead 53/46…. looking at results, it appears that Brown is over performing in the key areas such as Danvers.
***8:48PM Update***
So far in Boston, 20 out of 254 precincts have reported and Coakley is winning 53 to Browns 46… she needs to run up the score in Boston more than what she has now.
***8:57PM Update***
Larry Sabato say’s on Twitter that “It is already obvious that Scott Brown will win the Senate seat in MA.”
***9:04PM Update***
With 57% in it’s Brown leading 53% to 46%…… Brown has about an 80,000 vote lead
We at Walton’s Wall might be in the position to make a call within the next 20 minutes
****9:13PM Update****
with 65% in, it remains Brown leading 53 to 46… 120 out of 254 precincts in Boston have reported….
We at Walton’s Wall are close to making a call
***9:18PM Update***
BREAKING, rumors say that Coakley has called Brown to concede
*****9:21PM Update****
With 71% of the vote in, Walton’s Wall is calling the US Senate Race for Scott Brown
***9:31PM Update***
Coakley to speak soon, with Brown to follow
Also, be sure to check Walton’s Wall tomorrow for post election thoughts and analysis
***9:44PM Update***
Now that I have a second to take a breath here are my first thoughts about the election results…. this was a historic election, the message that the citizens of the Bay State sent to Washington DC was loud and clear, NO on health care and YES on the economy. This truly was a devastating blow to President Obama and Democrats. Obama is now 0 for 3 in campaigns since being elected, Governors races in Virginia and New Jersey and now this Senate election….. more posts after the speeches, but these are my first thoughts with more to come in tomorrows Walton’s Wall
**11:15PM Update**
This is my last post of the night… Brown victory speech was ok, he went a little too long and was all over the place, but for someone to come from behind like he did he deserved his extended time in the spotlight.
Tomorrow on Walton’s Wall read my reactions to what took place tonight….
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A Bulls Eye on the Bay State
With voters going to the polls today in Massachusetts to choose a new US Senator one thing is clear, the results will change the political landscape in around the country and for certain Washington DC.
Here’s what today means…
A Coakley win (more than likely razor-thin) will embolden the Democrats to continue to ram through an unpopular heath care bill along with other disliked legislation like Cap and Trade.
A Brown win would turn the health care debate on its head leaving it stopped in its tracks. Also, you will see moderate Democrats jettisoning support for President Obama.
Walton’s Wall will be following all the developments of the election today, so check back often. Updates will be given throughout the day with updates every 15 minutes after polls close at 8. So, make Walton’s Wall your primary place for coverage of the first election in 2010.
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A Coakley Comeback or a Brown Breakthrough?
Tomorrow, January 19th, residents in Massachusetts will go to the polls to elect a new US Senator to fill the vacancy left by the death of the Lion of the Senate, Ted Kennedy. The election, once thought to be an easy victory for Democratic Attorneys General Martha Coakley, has turned into a fight with Republican State Senator Scott Brown. The race has become so close that the Coakley campaign is hoping that a last minuet Sunday campaign visit by President Obama will pull her across this finish as a victor.
Recent polls suggest that Brown has a slight lead over Coakley, however in the heavily Democratic leaning Bay State no one is sure if these leads are enough to withstand the Democratic machine. What is sure certain is that Tuesday’s election will be one for the ages.
Right now all the wind is behind Brown’s back as veteran independent political polling pendant Charlie Cook now says that Brown is now the favorite. On his Web site Cook say, “Given the vagaries of voter turnout, particularly in lower participation level special elections, this race could still go either way, but we put a finger on the scale for Brown.”
This sentiment has even caused Obama advisors to believe that Coakley will lose to Brown. According to CNN Senior White House Correspondent Ed Henry “Multiple advisers to President Obama have privately told party officials that they believe Democrat Martha Coakley is going to lose Tuesday’s special election…”
While the polls show that Brown would win the election if it were held today I would be extremely cautious with optimism if I were in the Brown camp. Massachusetts hasn’t had a Republican US Senator since 1979. It’s with that fact alone that makes this race not only interesting, but also hard to predict.
The enthusiasm is clearly more clear on the Republican side of the electorate, one reason for President Obama’s visit yesterday. If the Democratic machine turns out the voters like they have in the past, then Coakley has a chance to pullout a victory with a Hail Mary.
What might prevent a Hail Mary is the idiotic mistakes that Coakley has made on the campaign trail, the most recent being that she called Boston Red Sox’s legend Curt Schilling a Yankee fan. While this might not seem like a big deal, it shows how out of touch Coakley is with the average voter. She even mocked Brown for standing out in the cold to meet voters in front of Fenway Stadium.
All in all, I predict that after Tuesday’s special election the GOP will have 41 votes in the Senate. After looking at all the data I see Brown breaking through and winning with between 4 and 5 percent of the vote, anything more would add a twist of the knife of defeat for Coakley.
*** Update Jan 18, 1:13PM ***
The nasty weather that is predicted for tomorrow will be a factor in the outcome of the election. This is where the enthusiasm behind Brown will help in his efforts to breakthrough.
****Update Jan 18, 4:31PM****
Politico has a new poll out reflecting that Coakley’s numbers are in “free fall”.
*****Update Jan 18, 5:50PM*****
After looking further into the polling numbers I am revising my prediction for tomorrow with Brown still winning, but with a greater margin between 6-8%.
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Bush, Clinton Answer Presidential Call to Duty
On Tuesday (Jan. 12) hell erupted on the surface of Earth with the tragic and devastating earthquake in the country of Haiti. The magnitude 7.0 earthquake caused utter destruction in the most impoverished country in the Western hemisphere. As buildings and entire communities lie in ruin, the death toll from this catastrophic earthquake could easily reach in the six figures.
To help coordinate and lead the relief efforts President Obama uses the same strategy as his predecessor in dealing with tsunami relief. President Obama has formally requested the assistance of former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton to coordinate relief efforts and raise money for the earthquake victims in the Republic of Haiti. A formal announcement from the White House could come as early as today, or by the weekend.
President Obama should receive praise for enlisting the help of the two former Presidents, especially given the tenuous relationships he has had with the two in the past. Additionally, both former President Bush (43) and Clinton need to be commended for stepping up to the plate to help rebuild our neighbor in the Caribbean.
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From Matt: A Fantastic First 2 Weeks, Thank You
Two weeks ago a long-held dream of mine came to fruition when I launched Walton’s Wall. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined the tremendous positive response that I have gotten thus far. Over the course of the past two weeks, Walton’s Wall has had over 1,700 hits, something I would have never happened, let alone this soon. Seeing these results has made me more driven to continue to produce a high quality blog. Finally, I have decided to create an e-mail update, if interested in receiving these e-mails please e-mail me at waltonswall@gmail.com. Thank you again for a fantastic first two weeks.
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